Pondering the significance of the Wilderness Act as it turns fifty, what I did Google is the definition of “untrammeled”. This word, the standard by which we manage some of our last best wild places, means “not deprived of freedom of action or expression; not restricted or hampered.”

As wolves continue to recolonize their native range in the Pacific Northwest, hikers, campers and backpackers should take comfort that while usual wildlife precautions are recommended, these wild canines pose very little threat to humans.

As fires continue to rage across parts of our state’s eastern half, we felt it would be helpful to distribute some official resources to keep our members and supporters informed about the locations and dangers from these wildfires, and the latest updates on evacuation notices and recovery efforts.

ATVs have been all over the news in eastern WA lately. And you may have heard that we've appealed an Okanogan County decision to triple the amount of roads open to ATV’s without a thoughtful environmental review. But Conservation Northwest believes strongly that there is a place for responsible ATV use and other motorized recreation in the great outdoors.

Adopt a monitoring team to support citizen wildlife research! We're sending 27 teams out to look for wildlife in the wild landscapes of Washington. Give them a boost, and be a part of the action this season.

Today we took a step closer to ending the epidemic of illegal and harmful use of off-road vehicles. Unethical ATV riders have created thousands of illegal and damaging trail miles on Washington state lands and cost ranchers and tree farmers millions in property damage. They can be a noisy disruption in a quiet backcountry for those who hike or hunt. HB 1632 will reduce abuse while expanding legitimate ATV recreation opportunities. Washington.

A lot of our success is measured by dry forest acres restored, better wildlife management policies passed, and, well, sometimes simply successful phone calls. Maybe not thrilling Friday blog material, but of course important.
Today, however, our success is measured by a coyote.
And not so much by the coyote, really, as where it went for a walk.

You can't even hike in the municipal watersheds of Seattle or Portland, much less conduct commercial logging on steep slopes. But around Lake Whatcom, people reside, drive cars and jet skis, and even clear cut steep slopes on public land. We can help ameliorate our declining water quality with a forest preserve.

It's true: you suck - and I mean that in only the nicest way. There are things we all do that suck carbon out of the atmosphere - where it’s doing harm - and beneficially store it on land. We need to do much more such sucking of biocarbon to save our natural heritage from the ravages of extreme climate change. At Conservation Northwest, we help protect, connect, and restore forests and wilderness so we can suck even more carbon!